Thousands of Americans of all faiths will be participating in these peaceful rallies, organized by the Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society to oppose the new mandate from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that requires all employers provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs through their health plans, even in violation of their consciences.

Religious leaders and other public figures will speak out against the HHS Mandate at each Rally site. Holding signs reading “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” and “Stop the HHS Mandate,” participants will offer hymns and prayers for our nation and pass out literature to the public about why the HHS Mandate is unconstitutional and un-American.

President of the CatholicTV Network, Father Robert Reed, spoke out against the HHS Mandate in support of religious freedom:

I believe that not just Catholics, but all citizens need to oppose the HHS mandate, recognizing the dangerous precedent it would set. The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion. As a result, the mandate would impose a law that contradicts the conscience of many faithful individuals.

Here's Father Reed's official statement on the HHS mandate, as seen on the CatholicTV® Network:

The
Congress will begin the day with Mass presided by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley,
OFM with music by the Archdiocesan Black Catholic Choir. Over 24
workshops in English, Portuguese and Spanish will be offered throughout the
day. The keynote speaker at the Archdiocesan Catechetical Congress will be
Bishop Richard Malone.

Bishop
Richard Malone, a native son of Salem, Massachusetts, is the 11th Bishop of
Portland, Maine. A graduate of Saint John's Prep, Danvers and Saint
John's Seminary, Boston, Bishop Malone was ordained in 1972 by Cardinal
Humberto Medeiros. In 1981 then Father Malone earned his Doctorate in Theology
from Boston University and in 1990 his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from
Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge. Bishop Malone was Professor of
Theology at Saint John's Seminary and chaplain at Harvard University. He was
named Director of the Office of Religious Education in 1993 and later appointed
Cabinet Secretary for Education for the Archdiocese of Boston. In March, 2000
he was ordained Bishop and appointed Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Boston,
South Region. Bishop Malone was installed as Bishop of Portland, Maine on March
31, 2004. He is a member and immediate past Chair of the Bishops
Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis for the United states Conference of
Catholic Bishops.

Workshop
sessions include “The Mass is Boring? No Way! We've Got to Talk!”
presented by CatholicTV’s own Fr. Dan O’Connell, Saint Joseph Parish, West End.
This workshop will focus on ways religious educators can teach children to
appreciate and love the Mass; making it come alive.
To learn
more about the Archdiocesan Catechetical Congress visit: www.rc.net/boston/religiouseducation.

I'll be representing CatholicTV as a vendor, but I'll also be popping in and out of the great talks at the Conference, so keep an eye on the @CatholicTV twitter feed for live updates, and look for some blogging about the conference as well!

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